rrogance and
affectation is but a ninny."

The size of the little death-dealer made me hold his anger cheap. I gave
him a sharp retort; he sent back as good as I brought, till at last we
came to fisticuffs. We had pulled a few handfuls of hair from each other's
head before the grocer and his kinsman could part us. When they had
brought this about, they feed me for my attendance and retained my
antagonist, whom they thought the more skilful of the two.

Another adventure succeeded close on the heels of this. I went to see a
huge singer in a fever. As soon as he heard me talk of warm water, he
showed himself so adverse to this specific as to fall into a fit of
swearing. He abused me in all possible shapes, and threatened to throw me
out of the window. I was in a greater hurry to get out of his house than
to get in.

I did not choose to see any more patients that day, and repaired to the
inn where I had agreed to meet Fabricio. He was there first. As we found
ourselves in a tippling humor, we drank hard, and returned to our
employers in a pretty pickle; that is to say, so-so in the upper story.
Senor Sangrado was not aware of my being drunk, because he took the lively
gestures which accompanied the relation of my quarrel with the little
doctor for an effect of the agitation not yet subsided after the battle.
Besides, he came in for his share in my report; and, feeling himself
nettled by the insults of Cuchillo--

"You have done well, Gil Blas," said he, "to defend the character of our
practise against this little abortion of the faculty. So he takes upon him
to set his face against watery drenches in dropsical cases? An ignorant
fellow! I maintain, I do, in my own person, that the use of them may be
reconciled to the best theories. Yes, water is a cure for all sorts of
dropsies, just as it is good for rheumatisms and the green sickness. It is
excellent, too, in those fevers where the effect is at once to parch and
to chill; and even miraculous in those disorders ascribed to cold, thin,
phlegmatic, and pituitous humors. This opinion may appear strange to young
practitioners like Cuchillo, but it is right orthodox in the best and
soundest systems; so that if persons of that description were capable of
taking a philosophical view, instead of crying me down, they would become
my most zealous advocates."

In his rage, he never suspected me of drinking; for to exasperate him
still more against the little doctor, I had throw